


The World at Our Feet

by drakonlily



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-01
Updated: 2012-06-01
Packaged: 2017-11-06 13:41:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/419543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drakonlily/pseuds/drakonlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Genesis and Angeal met rather suddenly, and on a whim, they changed the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The World at Our Feet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [underhandlilies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/underhandlilies/gifts).



Apple trees took four to five years to show their first fruit. That was Genesis' first memory; his father was holding his hand and motioned to a line of young trees. "These are your trees, Genesis. They're everything that you are going to be. They are going to be strong and fruitful, with a beautiful red coat."

Genesis looked at his red clothed arm and smiled. Even as a boy he knew that he was meant for greatness. He tended those apple trees as much as he could – in his case that meant supervising the workers. Every single tree needed to be pruned, well cared for, individually watered. Genesis would know if there was ever a caterpillar in his part of the orchard. 

So when he noticed that his fence had loose boards- ones that had been removed and replaced many times- he went ballistic. Immediately he went on a rampage, looking over his trees obsessively until he was certain apples were missing, almost to the number. How had he missed it before? The young boy prided himself on his 'genius' because most everyone praised it. To be made a fool of in _his own orchard_ was unforgivable. 

He tore his fine red coat when he climbed the tree to hide and await the thief, but was unhindered by the setback. He would just add it to his reasons for retribution – divine, righteous retribution. Coiled like a viper, he lurked in wait. 

And wait he did. The thief did not show himself until well after the sun had set. He should have known, honorable kept normal hours, rose with the dawn to oversee workers and make sure that everything flowed smoothly. Thieves had no honor and probably didn't know what a sunrise looked like. In his head, Genesis was painting a villain out of storybooks, a tall, vicious looking person with a horrible scar…

So when a lanky boy slid through the boards in his fence, he was slightly disappointed. More than slightly disappointed, to be honest. This was not going to be an epic battle at all, it was some half starved, _extremely_ poorly dressed, tramp. Genesis slid down the tree, his gallant shout wouldn't have made a difference. He ripped his coat again in the process. "Hey! You're trespassing!" 

The boy started and instead of whirling about to face Genesis in a manly duel, ran. Like a coward, a thief! He took off in pursuit, taking note of every snag to his red coat as he trailed his prey. 

The other boy was taller than Genesis with longer legs and obviously used to fleeing from the law. If Genesis didn't know these orchards like he knew himself, he would have lost him. Midway through his leap to tackle the thief, Genesis realized that more than his coat would get dirty. Further enraged by his numerous indignities, Genesis tackled the thief to the ground. 

Genesis had never been in a fight before; this was something that he realized when the other boy hit him in the _face_. Blind anger fueled him then; Genesis forgot his dignity. He rolled and snarled just like the tramp that had been pilfering his apples. Eventually, the other boy won out, much to Genesis' romantic dreams' dismay. The boy straddled him and pinned his arms over his head. "Just… listen to me a minute!"

"You are a thief! There is no listening to you!" Genesis was spitting mad. How dare this tramp break into _his_ orchard and steal _his_ apples then _**get him dirty?**_

"Yes! Yes, I am, but Banora White apples are worth a lot of money." 

"Of course they are! I should know!" Was this boy slow along with a dirty thief? Genesis attempted to buck the thief off, and failed. 

"Please, just listen to me? I'm …" The boy looked quite stricken. He was an amazing actor, like the man in Loveless. "…I'm broke. I really needed the money." He sighed. "I'm going to let you up. I'm really sorry. I… just didn't think you'd miss them."

Genesis sat upright with a start and pitched the other boy to his side. " _Wouldn't miss them?_ Those are my apples! This is my orchard, planted just for me when I was born! How dare you assume I wouldn't notice them missing!"

"…your parents gave you a whole apple orchard?"

Genesis crossed his arms over his chest, his filthy chest. "Of course." 

The boy just looked at the ground. 

Maybe he wasn't a villain. Maybe he was… the tragic sidekick. The best friend from another world. Every hero needed one of those, didn't they? "… what's your name?"

"Angeal." He offered a hand.

Genesis looked at the hand, calloused and cut, full of dirt, for a full minute before he accepted. "I'm Genesis… maybe we can work something out?"

+++

Predictably, his parents weren't thrilled to meet Genesis' new friend, Angeal. But Angeal was like clay, ready to be molded and Genesis could help him. It wasn't really charity. Angeal did a lot of work around the manor, including picking, sorting and packaging. All the tasks that Genesis simply didn't want to deal with, on top of that he enjoyed reading. The two of them spent many nights curled up in Genesis' family library. 

It was only natural that Angeal was the one that Genesis raged at when he learned of his family's secret. "No one told me!"

"Told you…." Angeal was still taller, broader in the shoulders. 

Genesis never lost what could only be described as 'pretty' features. Maybe that should have tipped him off. He was so intelligent… how had he not noticed? "I'm _adopted_."

Angeal blinked, proving that he, at least, was not in on the mockery. "I… really?"

"Yes really! What do you think, I just happen to look like a distant great grandparent?"

"You do sort of look like your mother…"

Genesis glared. Of course, like his mother. "We can't stay here, Angeal. I need to… go out and make a name for myself. Do something. What are we doing here? You've heard of Sephiroth, haven't you?" 

"Of course I have. He's… a total prodigy." 

"So am I, and you're strong enough. We're going to SOLDIER." He was caught up now, images of lights and fanfare, of people swooning and monsters falling at their feet "We're going to be heroes, Angeal. You wait and see…"


End file.
